Switch-lock.



No. 350,207. PATENTED APR. 16, 1907. P. B. BRADLEY. SWITGH LOCK.

APPLIOATIOH TILED 81-1214. 1906.

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No. 850,207. PATENTED APR. 16, 1907. F.B.BRYADLBY.

SWITCH LOOK,

APPLICATION F ILED SEPT. 4, 1906.

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FRANK B. BRADLEY, OF CHICAGOJILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AJAX FORGE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SWITCH-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 16, 1907.

Application filed September 4, 1906. Serial No. 333,220.

To 0,7 7 wimp t zit TIMI/f] concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK B. BRADLEY, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chi-,

cago, in the countyof Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch-Locks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention. relates to improvements in locking devices for railway-switches It is well known that the movable rails of a railWay-sWitch are a constant source of dangel and a frequent cause of'accident in the operation of railways. One of the most fruitful cause for accidents in this connection is the character and quality of the switchstands used and the Weakness of the connections between the switch-stand and the movable switch-rails. As ordinarily constructed the movable rails are thrown manually by means of a lever mounted on a switch-stand and connected with a connecting-rod Which in turn connects with the head-rod, which is securely attached to the movable switchrails. When the switch is set in either position-for example, with the main-track pointrail held snugly against the sWitch-railthere must be no lost motion or play between the main-track point-rail and the main-trackrail, and as the locking of the movable rail in this position is dependent on devices connected with the switch-stand it is obvious that the pins or other connecting members between the locking means on the switch-stand and the point-rail must be under constant tension, resulting in a direct strain on the connectingbolts. If therefore either the pivot-bolts .or any of the members connecting the headrod with the switch-stand shall give way, or if the switch-stand shall be broken, the movable rail is unlocked, and a wreck will result unless the defect is discovered in time. asmuch, however, as the greatest strain occurs when a train is passing over the switch the failure of the switch-stand or of any members connecting the switch-stand with the head-rod must almost certainly result in an accident. Indeed, it sometimes has happened that an animal struck by a train has een thrown against the switch-stand, thereby wrecking the switch-stand, unlocking the point-rail, and wrecking the train.

To overcome these dangers and to render railroad operation to that extent safer and life and property more secure, it is the object of my invention. to provide an inexpensive, reliable, and simply applied and operated lock, whereby either or both of the movable switch-rails may be positively locked in a given position without reliance upon the switch-stand or the members connecting the switch-stand with the head-rod for any service other than the mere throwing of the switch-rails. To attain these ends, I provide a manually-operated positive lock which directly engages the head-rod of the switch.

A convenient embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a split switch provided with one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional detail on the line 2' 2 of Fig. 4'looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the switcl -locking device. Fig. 4 is an elevational view of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the locking portion of the head-rod. Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

' Like letters of reference indicate the. same parts in the several figures of the drawings.

A A indicate the main-trackrails.

B is the movable n1ain-track rail or, as shown, main-track point-rail.

C is the switch pointrail.

D is the switch-rail.

E and Findicate ties G, the head-rodindieating the switch point-rail with the maintrack point-rail; II, the locking device; I, the connecting-rod; J, the switch-stand; K, the switch-stand lever, and 9 indicates diagrammatically the adjusting device for adjusting the gage distance between the point-rails B and Csuch, for example, as that shown in my Patent No. 649,267, May 8, 1900.

The head-rod G, it will be noted, which connects the point-rails with each other and which is either directly secured thereto or is connected therewith by means of a clip in a familiar manner, is preferably Inadeto roject a considerable distance at one side 0 the track, as shown at G.

The locking device is shown more in detail in Figs. 3, 4, and 5 and consists in the form shown in the drawings of a saddle H, which is securely spiked to the ties E and F. This saddle is provided with a groove I, extending lengthwise of the ties and lengthwise of the head-rod G. The head-rod G is provided with a transverse abutment. in the drawings this is shown as a double abutment 3 3, formed by the opposite walls of a groove 2, formed across the head-rod G. This abutment can be provided in any convenient manner either by forming this portion of the head-rod of a suilicient thickness to permit 01 a shoulder being out upon it, or, as shown in the drawings, by iirinly securing to the head-rod a reinforcing-piece 4. livoted to the saddle H, at one side of the head-rod G and between the ribs or abutments 5, is a bar or lever 6, adapted to be swung across the head-rod G in engagement with the abut-- ment 3. When the bar 6 is so swung into ongagement with the abutment on the headrod G, I prefer that its free end shall also be brought into engagement with the ribs or abutments 7 7 on the saddle H, although, obviously, it is only necessary, so far as the strain incident tothe locking of the point rails are concerned, that there shall be one abutment 3 on the rod G and one abutment 5 or 5 and 7 on the saddle II. hen the bar .6 is locked'across the head-rod G, it may be held in position either by a pin 8 extending through holes 9 in the ribs 7 7, or a padlock may be inserted and looked through a larger hole 10 in one of the ribs 7. If it is desired to loekthe switch in both open and closed position by this same means, it is obvious that the abutment of the head-rod against one of the middle abutments 3 3 will lock the switch in one position, while the abutment of the head-rod against one of the end abutments of the reinforcing-piece 4 will lock the switch in the opposite position, it

'only being necessary to have the space be' tween saidabutments correspond to the distance to be traveled by the rail. It will thus be seen that whether the familiar form of switch-stand or other device he used for manually throwing the switch, as soon as the switch is thrown-say with the main-track point-rail locked against the maintrackrailthe bar 6 will be locked across the head-rod G, thus providing a positive lock for holding the switch-rail in the adjusted position, which look is entirely independent of the connections between the head-rod G and the switchstand. There is no tension on the connecting-pins otherwise than that incident to throwing the rail, and after the rail has been thrown and blocked the switch-stand and all parts connecting the head rod with the s'witehstand may be disconnected or wrecked without any possibility of unlocking the switch-rail.

merits on the head-rod G, spaced apart a dis tance equivalent to the throw of the switch, or by providing two of the bars 6 similarly spaced apart, the switch may be locked either in open or closed position, in which event all locking devices on the switch-stand will be dispensed with but in that event practical conditions 01'' service require that some adjusting means-such, for example, as that shown in my aforesaid patent, No. 649,267 shall be provided for adjusting the effective length 01 the headrod G or the distance be tween movable point-rails to compensate for wear and to permit of the ready assembling and. installation of the switch. Such variations are obvious from the description and drawings which have preceded, and while I have shown my invention embodied in one form which 1 consider preferable, because it combines with an absolutely safe and positive lock a minimum weight of material, a simplicity of construction permitting of ready installation and operation, and a shape and size which will permit the device to be attached to the ties immediately adjacent to and at one side of the track-rails, nevertheless neither such size, precise construction, or location are essential to my invention, which covers, broadly, the combination, with means for manually throwing a switch, of a positive lock directly engaging the head-rod of the switch.

While in the drawings I have shown the locking-bar squarely engaging the abutment on the saddle, my invention contemplates that, if desired, either the locking-bar or the abutment, or both, may be so tapered as to produce a wedging action when the lockingbar is forced into engagement with the abut. ment, so that the locking of the locking-bar in position may at the same time serve to tightly wedge the point-rail in locked position and to hold it under tension in that position.

I claim 1. The combination with a pair of switchrails, of a continuous head-rod connecting said rails and projecting beyond one side of the main track and provided with a transverse abutment on said projecting end, a stationary support, and a bar arranged to be manually brought into and out of engagement with said abutment on the head-rod I and arranged to be secured to said support so as to prevent the longitudinal movement of said head-rod.

2. The combination with a pair of movable switch-rails, of the head-rod connected therewith, means on said head-rod for adjusting the distance between said movable rails, a switch-stand arranged to throw the rails and a lock arranged to engage said head-rod at either of two points whereby the switch-ra ls may be positively locked at either extreme position.

3. The combination with a pair of movable switclii'ails, of a head-rod connected therewith and projecting at one side of the track and provided with a trans verse abutment, oi

a saddle secured across a pair of adjacent ties L. The combination with a main-track point-rail of a switch, of the head-rod connected therewith and extending beyond one side of the track, a switch-stand, a connecting-bar between the switch-bar and the headrod, means on the switch-stand for throwing the point-rail, and a lock for the point-rail comprising means connected with the roadbed and adapted to directly and positively engage the headrod whereby the point-rail will be positively locked in position adjacent to the main-track rail.

5. The combination with a pair of movable switch-rails, of a head-rod connected therewith and provided with an abutment, a saddle secured to a stationary support, a bar arranged to be manually placed in engagement with said abutment on the head-rod,

and means for anchoring said bar to said saddle when said bar is in engagement with said abutment.

6. The combination with a pair of movable switch-rails, of a head-rod connected therewith and provided with an abutment, a stationary support, a bar pivoted thereto and arranged to be manually swung across said head-rod and into engagement with said abutment, and means for securing said bar, when in engagement with said abutment, so as to prevent longitudinal movement of said head-rod.

7. The combination with a switch-rail, of a head-rod connected therewith, a switchstand, means on the switch-stand for moving the switch-rail, a bar connecting the headrod with said swi tell-operating means whereby said switch-operating means and said head-rod will at all times move simultaneously, and a lock for the switchrail, said lock comprising a stationary support and means arranged to be manually brought into and out of positive engagement with said headrod and with said stationary support, so as to prevent longitudinal movement of said head-rod.

FRANK B. BRADLEY.

Witnesses:

OTTO R. BARNETT, G. P. ALLEN. 

